Technological Background - Phage-ligand Technology

Since the discovery of bacteriophages at the beginning of the 20th century, they have been widely used first in science and later in industry. Hyglos creatively combines long established knowledge with modern methods of protein engineering. This means using the power of nature to provide solutions for various needs of today. Hyglos' core competency is to exploit the principles of bacteriophage biology and the expert use of the proprietary phage-ligand technology for antimicrobial, diagnostic and research applications.

This technology enables the production of state-of-the-art molecules for the effective binding of bacteria and bacterial components and lysis of bacteria. Bacteriophages are viruses that have evolved for millions of years. They can recognize and infect bacteria everywhere they live, even under extreme conditions. Hyglos targets the highly specific interaction of naturally occurring bacteriophages with their host bacteria.

The technology makes use of molecules (phage proteins), which are identified from bacteriophages, characterized and recombinantly expressed for various applications. Such molecules are perfectly suitable for use in the fields of food and human diagnostics as well as the selective decolonization of pathogenic bacteria e.g.Staphylococcus aureus.

The image on the right seen through an electron microscope shows "the unfriendly take over" - a T4 bacteriophage binding to the surface of an E. coli bacteria cell.